Last year in Playboy, Frank Owen skillfully dissected the Legend of the Causeway Cannibal, explaining how people around the world came to believe that the synthetic stimulants known as “bath salts” caused one man to eat another’s face, even though it turned out that the assailant had not actually consumed any of those drugs.
In a new Playboy article, Owen and his wife, Lera Gavin, go “Chasing Molly,” searching high and low for some decent MDMA sold under its latest brand name. Spoiler alert: They fail. Although MDMA-as-molly (powder in a capsule) is reputedly better than MDMA-as-Ecstasy (a tablet), Owen reports, it is vastly inferior to MDMA-as-adam, the compound that excited the psychonautical chemist Alexander Shulgin and his psychotherapist friends back in the late 1970s, before it became known as a party drug, prompting the Drug Enforcement Administration to ban it in 1985.
Some of the molly that Owen and Gavin buy in Miami Beach and New York does contain MDMA, but it’s mixed with a bunch of other things that consumers probably are not expecting: synthetic cathinones (a common ingredient in those “bath salts” that supposedly turn people into flesh-eating zombies), methamphetamine, even the narcotic painkiller oxycodone. Often the stuff sold as molly contains no MDMA at all:
According to the Miami Police Department, methylone and mephedrone, along with another synthetic cathinone called 4-MEC, account for the vast bulk of the molly seized by narcotics cops in the area. A DEA spokesperson told me that in the first six months of 2013, the DEA’s Miami field office seized 106 consignments of molly, which contained 43 different substances, 19 of them so obscure even government chemists couldn’t identify them.
It looks like many people who report MDMA-like experiences of openness and connectedness after consuming molly are providing further evidence of the powerful impact that “set and setting” (expectations and environment) have on a drug’s perceived effects. Yet this interesting experiment drug warriors have set up has a cost: not just disappointment but potentially deadly hazards for consumers who get something different from what they thought they were buying, as tends to happen in a black market.
Prohibition not only makes drugs more dangerous by creating a situation where people are swallowing iffy pills and snorting mystery powders; it blocks attempts to ameliorate those hazards. Owen and Gavin note that music festivals such as Electric Zoo, which this year was cut short after two drug-related deaths, “refuse to allow organizations such as Dance-Safe to test molly on-site because organizers fear they will be accused of condoning drug use.” Such accusations can trigger serious legal consequences, including forfeiture and criminal prosecution.
Tablets sold as MDMA may contain other chemicals (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
So...I personally know the gentleman who is the Techno Viking -- the World's Best Dancer, Matthew Churney!! Matt is an amazing man who is not only an awesome dancer and hackey sack-er (see below for videos!!) ...he is also an amazing artist designing intricately designed and hand-made/cut clothing (see photos below for examples) which has proudly graced many talented artists including Aerosmith (I've seen the pics!). Anyway, he's an awesome guy and I hope all our readers may at some point have the opportunity to meet Matt (if you haven't already, as I assume many of you have) at an upcoming show and when you do - let him know just how important he is to the scene! PPLB loves you, Matthew!! Read the full interview below...
(January 2014) By Patrick Clough-Androes
This year I turned 26, and EDM is already making me feel ancient. You know what they say: every year we get older, and the ravers stay the same age.
In fact, the scene's age demographic seems to fall drastically each year, and my refusal to wear floral-printed five-panel hats isn't helping me assimilate with the sweaty hoards getting dropped off in their rave family's caravan. While I seem to spend more time hesitating over the "buy now" button for an all-ages Zeds Dead show these days, none of this seems to bother 54-year-old rave legend Matthew Churney, who lives on the other side of Chicago.
A child of the 60s, Matthew has become a fixture of the Chicago electronic music scene. From Pitchfork to Lollapalooza to shady warehouses, Matthew and his twin brother, Max, never fail to become the stars of any impromptu dance circle. Outfitted in homemade clothing and protective body armor like back braces and knee pads, both Churneys have their own distinctive dance styles and like to get dirty. This video of them from Lollapalooza 2009 has racked up almost three million views.
Every time I run into the Churney brothers, my curiosity about who they are and why they do what they do only grows. So on one recent glacial night, I finally arranged to meet up with Matthew (who wears the blue bandana in the above video) for coffee in Chicago's Logan Square. It quickly became clear that Matthew Churney is just as fascinating in conversation as he is from afar—I noticed several patrons taking breaks from their laptops and eavesdropping on our discussion, mouths agape.
Our chat roamed from his early adventures at Woodstock to his recent decision to go sober, before turning to his theories on Philly's Nitrous Mafia murders, 9/11 conspiracies, Michael Jordan's role in his brother's injuries, and when he plans on finally slowing down.
THUMP: You are 54, is that correct?
Matthew Churney: 54 going on 55.
As an experienced reveler, what was electronic music’s greatest era?
I’d say the 80s and the 90s. You had everything from techno to trance. And I include a lot of hip-hop stuff in there too. Grandmaster Flash, you know, all that stuff was heavily influenced by electronica.
How were the parties then?
Ridiculous. A lot of my experiences were through the glasses of being altered, if you will… doing party favors. The memory isn’t what I would like it to be. I didn’t hit a lot of outdoor raves. 1994 or 1995 at Woodstock was the one where they did a rave night. It was amazing. It was so much fun.
Many parents would be mortified to see their children's behavior at a rave or electronic show. What does your family think of your lifestyle?
Um, my mom wouldn’t be too surprised by my lifestyle. She knows enough about me and we don’t really have any secrets. When I’m sober, she knows I’m sober. If I’m not sober, I’m a little less in contact with her cause I know she’d be a little disappointed. That’s not cause she thinks less of me, but she’s concerned about me like any mother is going to be. Fortunately I’m sober now, so that’s not an issue.
You have been clean for many years. Is electronic music as fun without drugs?
You know, that’s a difficult question. It’s really fun to be screwed up dancing to it. At the same time, it can be [fun sober], you just need the right music and crowd. I’ve always said you don’t need drugs to have a good time. I live by that. That’s not a load of bullshit.
A pessimistic attitude towards electronic music seems to be the growing trend now that the genre has gained notoriety. Why do you think this is? How do you combat this mentality?
It’s gotten so mainstream that it probably has lost some appeal to those who got in on it from the beginning. Girls get raped, people get their things stolen, people get beat down for drugs. Even worse, there was a guy that got killed over nitrous at Gathering of the Vibes. It was a territorial thing. It was like, Nitrous Mafia types who killed a guy that they thought was moving in on their territory. It’s things like that that give the scene a bad name and take away from the real fun. Some of the innocence has been lost, just like it was when drugs moved into music in the 60s.
What are your thoughts on PLUR?
It’s real. There are a lot of really good people on the planet that care about each other. They care about the partying experience. If they see someone who is all messed up and passed out, they’ll make sure they get medical attention. You don’t bail on a friend who is passed out. You don’t leave them lying on the ground so someone can abuse them. I mean, there is nothing wrong with [spraying] silly-string all over somebody, but that should be the most abusive behavior when someone is in that state.
What does a normal 24 hours look like for you? Do you have a routine?
I like to sleep in a lot. I could go to bed at midnight, or I might stay up until five or ten in the morning. I’ll stay up and watch TV until I’m falling asleep in my chair. Then I’ll recognize I’m not sleeping so well in the chair and I’ll move over to my bed. My bed is nice and cushy. It’s a structural massage table. I was trained in structural massage… but my teacher died. You examine a patient in their underwear to see what their alignment is really like. Over ten sessions you do the best you can to bring them into better alignment.
I don’t have any routines, per say. I try to get out and dance as much as I can. I try to stay up on what’s going on in the city. Dance is my only form of exercise. I used to go through Facebook events. There is so much. It’s just a pain. Facebook is a pain in the ass.
You gotta get some grub going. As skinny as I am, I’ve gotta make sure I’m eating something. That’s been an issue for me. I’ve gotten down to underweight levels. Some of that was a result of going out too much. Some of it was a result of burning off so much energy dancing. Actually, some of it was cause I went through some deep, dark psychological troubles right around the time 9/11 hit. It was really dark. I think some people are more sensitive to stuff that’s going on. I had a premonition that some bad shit was going to hit the fan. I was riding the train and I heard some lady say something about a disaster and something just shook me to the core. I had a feeling something heavy was going to happen.
This was pre-9/11?
Yes, this was before. From that moment forward, I just felt really shaken. I didn’t feel normal. I wound up in the psych ward cause of that type of shit. I did the best I could to pull myself out, got clean, you know, and started partying again and wound back up in the ward. I was like, OK, I’m not going to get a strike three. That’s when I got serious about staying clean.
After that [Lollapalooza] video came out, all these people were making these drug references and I’m like, I’m sober. If I weren’t sober, I would have owned up to it. Having seven years under my belt at the time, it rubbed me the wrong way to have people say, "He’s on crack, he’s on acid, he’s on this, he’s on that." But people see through their own filter of experience. I can’t blame them. If they’re getting high, they tend to think someone else is getting high.
You have left hundreds of comments on your YouTube videos, including the one you just mentioned. For someone so seemingly carefree and optimistic, it’s surprising to see you respond to those that disparage you and your brother. Why do you respond to comments like this elegant one?
"Datssocool: 11 months ago
Dat shit was fuckin horrible, wtf was he doin dat shit was so fuckin stupid, dat was a waste of time, n hw da fuck dud he get all those veiws, u make me wanna kill myself doin shit like dat. I hope u fuckn die fuck u who will post something like dis. Who ever put dis on YouTube should die to. N dat guy dat was tryna dance next to him needs ta die to n who ever liked dis video should fuckin die to. Bitch ass bitches . dumb mathafuckas wanna post some bullshit like dis. Die . Die . Die . BITCH"
It’s not that it bothers me personally that much. It boils down to self-responsibility and responsibility to the community. You’ve heard the saying "it takes a village to raise a child"? I’m part of that village, you know? As an adult and an elder, I’m over 50, it’s my responsibility to speak up and hold people accountable. That’s not me trying to prove them wrong. I’m not saying you are a bad person for saying that, but you need to check in with people before you assume anything.
Kids are impressionable. If they think something is really cool and they think the only way to get out and express themselves is to be fucked up out of their gourds, I don’t want to be responsible for the negative consequences of those actions.
I have heard that you were diagnosed as bipolar? When did that happen and what led up to the diagnosis?
2003 but I could have been diagnosed as early as 2001. I’m not even sure when it was. The whole process of even being analyzed and starting to take a deep look at myself and my behavior started then. That was an outgrowth of my lifestyle and an outgrowth of just really feeling down and caught up in all the negativity of the planet. It was a dark time. We were attacked. There’s a lot of stuff out there that says all that shit was set up from the inside.
Are you a conspiracy theorist?
Um, I start to believe that it is entirely possible that 9/11 could have been done from inside.
Any current physical ailments? I know your brother Max has had some issues with sciatica in his back and you were dancing with a torn meniscus in the Lollapalooza video.
The knees still kick up. I’ve had surgeries on both knees. I have a history of back issues which are a combination of injuries from work. The first time I ever had a back issue is when I was working at O’Hare [airport] and picked up a carrier that was really heavy and threw my back out. As a bike messenger, I’ve been knocked to the ground numerous times. One time I entered a lane that looked clear and a car came out of the blue and hit me. I went out dancing that weekend and my back went out on me big time. I couldn’t even stand up.
I think I have back problems but Max has it way worse. His back is constantly in pain. He’s spent a lot of time bed-ridden, just video gamin’ or sleeping cause, you know, he can’t take the pain. In a lot of cases, all you need to do is get out and move around. He moves really well considering the kind of pain he deals with.
You told me once that Michael Jordan was involved in crushing your brother’s leg?
Max was a bike messenger. One time he got on the road and was nailed out of the blue by one of Michael Jordan's restaurant's valet drivers. I think it was one of those situations where Max's lawyer might have gotten paid off… not to settle the case. I know there are lawyers that can be trustworthy, but I know there are others that are shady. The only money Max ever got out of it was workman’s comp. His leg has been hugely compromised… I mean he had to have a hipbone taken out to graft on to his knee to even make it workable. He should have got 50 to 100 grand, minimum.
Are the two of you inseparable?
We’re not always together. That’s kind of what adds to the mystique, that people think there’s one guy all over town. I cover a lot of ground personally, but I can’t cover the kind of ground that both of us can. There’s a lot of people that do know about us being twins, it’s not like we try to keep it a secret. We’ve been musical since we came out the womb. It was pretty natural for us to fall into it.
The 2012 Chicago Mad Decent block party was shut down by the CPD when hundreds of kids rushed the small open-air venue, scaling all facades and walls in a scene straight out of World War Z. I remember you grabbed a kid who had just mowed over some poor girl and exclaimed, “This is Mad Decent. You aren’t being decent and it’s making me mad.” Do you remember this?
[Laughs] I don’t remember the specific incident, but that sounds like something I would say. Ultimately, you can correct somebody in a way that you are checking their behavior without making them out to be a bad person. If you approach somebody the right way, they can take the lesson. You get more done with honey than with vinegar. If I came on straight vinegar, he might have hit me in the face or something.
When we first talked on the phone, you mentioned you had almost married a young woman a number of years ago? Have you found someone willing and able to keep up with your lifestyle?
Yeah. We had a lot in common, but she wanted somebody that was a little more of a homebody. Towards the end of our relationship I was still too much of a free spirit. I wasn’t able to be there for her the way she wanted me to. At the time when I lost her, I lost my job and apartment all in one shot.
I heard about a Rainbow Gathering, basically a bunch of hippies out in the woods trying to get away from it all. I thought it was just a cult or some crazy stuff, so I wasn’t going to go. Then I thought, I really need to clear my head and my heart… getting away from it all could do me some good. I was falling asleep to the sound of drums each night. It kind of woke something up in me. I said, I gotta get a drum. I wound up losing the lady who would have been my wife, but I got married to the drums instead. I’ve been married ever since and that’s not something that’s ever going to be broken up.
You are a heavy user of emoticons. What’s your favorite emoticon and why?
Uh, probably the tongue out the side of the mouth. When I think I or someone else has said something really funny, it’s not enough to just have a wide smile. [Laughs] I like the heart a lot too.
You are much more active on social media than most 54 year olds. However, you only have one connection on LinkedIn. What’s up with that?
I just haven’t made use of it. I stayed on Facebook thinking it was legitimate. Facebook hasn’t become what I hoped it would in terms of connecting myself with other people. I have close to a thousand likes on my clothing page, but very little comes out of that in terms of real business. I probably should be making more use of LinkedIn, I’m just not as media savvy or motivated.
What is a Spiderbat?
Spiderbat is the name and identity of my clothing line. I didn’t want to be sued by Marvel comics for using Spiderman. It was real obvious to use Spiderman, cause people were calling me that all the time, but I knew right off the bat I was going to have a lawsuit if I ever started making some real money. So I took Spiderman and Batman and slapped them together and came up with this mythological creature that represented my clothing.
Matthew Churney in a Spiderbat design with Kip Winger backstage at the First Midwest Bank Ampitheater
How often do you take a bath? I’ve heard you consider it a sacred experience.
I’d take more showers if I had more water pressure. Bathes are a wonderful thing. They give you time to just be with yourself. If you spend too much time with TV and video games and crap like that… that’s no good. If you deal with the aches and pains I deal with and have been busting ass on the dance floor and playing a lot of hacky sack and working hard on that, a bath is really good thing to take those aches and pains away. It’s good for your mind and body.
Any last words?
As long as my body is able to keep moving, I’ll be part of the scene. Ultimately, I want to be seen as more of a true artist as opposed to this crazy guy that is just out there. People need to know I have a heart and a soul. It’s not just the madness you see on the outside. To be given full respect and the opportunity to express myself on the deepest levels possible is what I’d like.
